La Ville Rose

We arrived at rush hour, and we were reminded how vibrant and alive Toulouse is today…the aerospace center of France, Europe even. It has been central to commerce and government since the 5th Century when it was the capital of the Visagoth kingdom.  We stayed at the home of close family friends situated in the hills south of the city, on a ridgeline that was actually the site of the first settlement of Celts predating Roman times.  Since the Romans conquered the entire countryside, they were less interested in the defending their ground, and were more interested in the Garonne River as part of a trade route between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.  So, they built a city in the valley alongside the river.  The colors of the terra cotta roofs and the pink granite and brick combine give the city its nickname.

We achieved 10,000 steps in that city on multiple days.  John and I took a self-guided walking tour past the Place du Capitole, Les Jacobins, the misery factory (my friend’s primary school), and through some very narrow streets and some very old buildings and city squares.  John says that he likes the friendly dogs waiting for their owners outside the shops, but he does not like all the smoking outside the shops.  Life is full of tradeoffs.

What luck!  We appropriated a convertible (Audi TT) to drive into the countryside on a sunny autumn day.  The hills and fields east of Toulouse took on a Mediterranean feel as we made our way to Carcassone.  Famous for its walled city that withstood sieges, it was an important fortification on the border between with France and Spain, until that border was moved in 1659 to the Pyrenees. It is funny to me that all this talk of France and Spain goes on today, while throughout the centuries, at many times, the regions were either more important, or had at least visions of grandeur.  Occitania, Aragon, Aquitaine, Catalonia...Let’s see where it all goes, I feel like we are in for more of this, not less!  John and I walked around the entire city wall. Exercise, Observation, Discussion!

We decided to drive through the very small towns in the countryside along winding country roads…with one-lane bridges and construction.  Good brakes were essential!  As we made our way from the tourist attraction of Carcassone to the thoughtful, quiet outpost of Chateau Queribus (one of the 5 sons of Carcassone), we were spirited all of the way back to the 13th century.  It was a steep, sunny, dry climb on foot to the top of the mountain.  The fortifications and view were equally breathtaking.  John and I could imagine we were on guard duty, waiting for the Albigensean crusaders to assault the fortress.  The slits in the wall were aligned perfectly with approach paths and intersections.  I used to think all the crusades were aimed at recapturing the Holy Land from the Muslims, not so.  This one was authorized by the Pope against the Cathars in the south of France—Tououlse, Carcassone, etc.  These Cathars, called Les Bons Hommes / the good men at that time, had a very tough go of these crusades.  Most were wiped out for their heretical views that the good God created the spiritual world and the evil one created the physical.  Engulfed in these stories, we walked to each defensive position and looked out at the surrounding beauty.  We pushed the “home button” on the car navigation system and hoped that it was programmed properly :)

Driving slightly over the speed limit and taking a picture...in a semi deserted approach to a very small town with very narrow streets.  It is said that Napoleon planted the sycamores to shade the marching Imperial Army.  These did not look that old.

We saw these  ruins at a sharp turn in the small town of Padern, and thinking it was Queribus, we took this picture. As it turns out, this was Chateau Padern, another Cathar castle but not a very important one.  It commands quite a view and held quite a position.

Looking over the ramparts from the outer wall of Queribus...I think this was facing North/ Northwest.

Sitting in the window of the main residence area of Queribus, one dash away from the keep.  Facing Southeast, this perch is safer than it looks...really :)